[The Stute] January 26, 2018 (Issue 13, Volume CXV)

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TUTE WE

Volume CXV

THE

Issue 13

WRITE

STEVENS

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Featured:

• New SGA Constitution • • Stars of Stevens • Cuisine Corner • • Artists to look out for in 2018 • • Hawaii Missile Scare •

HISTORY

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Friday, January 26, 2018

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Established 1904

Thomas Daly says goodbye, Gallo and Cabinet inaugurated by LISA MENGOTTO Staff Writer

OPB Charter • P6

Cocoa and Crafting • P6

Dark Side of the Moo • P10

The 2018 Student Government Association President and Cabinet were inaugurated on the first day of class this semester. Former President Tommy Daly gave a goodbye speech, after which incumbent President Lucas Gallo took The Oath of Office of the President and gave his first public speech at the ceremony held in Babbio Atrium. Honor Board Chairperson Olivia Schreiber performed the honor of swearing in Gallo. Gallo and four of the five Cabinet members were present to affirm The Oath of the 2018 Cabinet by signing their names. The fifth cabinet member signed later that night. “The opportunity to be your President has been the greatest honor of my life. This experience has certainly had its challenges, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” stated Daly. He then expressed his ex-

Office of the Provost modifies academic breaks by DYLAN MOON Staff Writer

On Jan. 10, the Office of the Provost announced a change to the academic break periods. Previously, no classes were scheduled on Mondays 4-6 p.m. or on Wednesdays 1-6 p.m. By next semester, both breaks will be replaced by a single break on Wednesdays 3-5 p.m. According to Provost Christophe Pierre, this change will efficiently accommodate for almost 100 additional class sections, simplifying scheduling and reducing registration-related stress. One freshman stated, “I’m in class for six hours on Tuesday and Thursday. It would be nice to even it out.” Despite this, much of the student body is concerned and even upset by the new academic break. In a poll of 91 randomly selected students representing a range of classes, about half

said they were unaware of the changes or had no strong opinion on them. Of the remaining, however, 34 students said they were unhappy with the changes, while only 11 students thought they were a good idea after hearing the Provost’s reasons for them. Several upperclassmen said that this indicates a “growing disconnect [with] the administration.” An increased number of classes means that the school can support more students, which means more funding for facilities and future expansions. The administration has an impressive eye for the future, but many feel a lack of recognition in the present. As a result of the new academic break, valuable time for extracurriculars will be threatened. Club meetings must fall in a smaller time frame, which may inadvertently force some students to drop conflicting clubs and limit the involvement of commuters on campus.

Furthermore, the changes may disrupt Stevens’ athletic programs, as practices face rescheduling. A few students even voiced their concern that the school’s focus on expansion is threatening its image as a small, potently rigorous institution. At the same time, others showed excitement at the prospect of increased academic resources. The disapproval of the academic break modification by over a third of this group may warrant the administration’s attention. These students will eventually be alumni. In their view, the school doesn’t need ten thousand students to achieve the legendary job placement and return on investment that led them here in the first place. Going forward, the administration should continue to search for a balance between expansion and consideration of the current student community.

Photo from Stevens

Lisa Mengotto

citement for Gallo and his Cabinet to embark on their new journey and shed light on perseverance through hardship. Daly said, “The best leaders don’t cower in the face of uncertainty, they embrace the challenge and march boldly into the unknown.” He also quoted Winston Churchill, saying, “Success is not final, fail-

ure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Daly also highlighted the importance of making decisions as leaders of the student body, stating, “Actions and decisions, particularly those whose outcome affect not only you, but the lives of others, should always be made with caution, prudence, and

with the knowledge that what you are doing is for the benefit of the greater good.” He then reminded the Cabinet of their obligation to always hold the best interest of the SGA – and, therefore, the student body – as the highest priority. Gallo took his Presidential Oath of Office,

see SGA • Page 6

Cold temperatures cause facilities complications over winter break by RAMI KAMMOURH Staff Writer

The cold two-week period from late December to early January caused multiple heating, water, and electricity issues in several campus facilities, most of which were addressed before the start of the spring 2018 semester. The affected buildings include McLean Hall, Rocco Building, Babbio Center, and Palmer Hall. While all the affected buildings have been open for their intended use since the start of this semester, two dorm rooms in Palmer Hall are still undergoing ceiling restorations and other miscellaneous repairs. Below-freezing temperatures are often accompanied by increases in output for utility companies. In most cases, increases in output cause over-

load in demand, resulting in complications such as pipe bursts. Additionally, winter weather can cause physical problems with the components of electricity transmission systems. In particular, ice buildup, which was a widespread issue in the tri-state area during the recent stretch of cold weather, can cause result in serious complications to plumbing and electricity systems. The earliest complication to arise over winter recess was the transformer fire in the Babbio Center, which occurred on Christmas Day. The incident was handled by Campus Police and the Hoboken Fire Department, and power was restored to the building on January 13. Both McLean Hall and Rocco Building experienced heating and water complications, with faculty being relocated to

other office space on campus. McLean was reopened on January 10, and Rocco Building on January 12. Palmer Hall experienced leaks and hallway flooding due to a failure in the building’s fire safety system. After clearing the debris resulting from the system failure and fixing water damage, the Office of Residence Life reopened the building the weekend before classes began, however, work to remedy ceiling damage to two dorm rooms on the third floor of the building continues. The Babbio Center, McLean Hall, and Rocco Building have all returned to fully-operational status, and the Office of Residence Life is working to finish repairs to the two dorm rooms in Palmer Hall affected by the building’s fire safety system failure as soon as possible.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

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Opinion

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 2

The Stute Editorial

Cynical about Pinnacle Many academicallyadvanced students hope to be invited into an honors program when they get to college. However, how does this work in a school such as Stevens where the majority of students are used to being the best of the best? You get a bunch of students who deserve to be in the program but only a small percentage that are lucky enough to participate. When the topic of Pinnacle Scholars comes up in conversation on campus, it is pretty evident that emotions can run high. There are the students who think that the system is not fair and the scholars who feel attacked for simply being a part of it. From the point of view of the Pinnacle students, other students’ jealousy can be a bit aggressive, especially when you think of how academically-inclined many Stevens students are. However, from the point of view of the non-Pinnacle students, it can be frus-

trating since the requirements for the program are very vague. Most students aren’t even aware of the program until they attend Stevens, even though the Pinnacle Scholars Program has its own website under special programs. However, if an applicant does not search for a special program, then they would not know about it. Of course, that is the case for most colleges that offer honors programs. This isn’t where most of the frustrations come from. It comes from the very vague and almost nonexistent requirements. According to the Pinnacle Scholars Program website, “Invitations for the Pinnacle Scholars Program are made at the time of admission and based on your academic record and potential impact at Stevens.” I think the problem with this statement is that it is very vague since it is hard to predict potential impact. I’m not saying that an application process should be implemented, though

it might be beneficial for all involved parties if there were a more specific definition for a Pinnacle Scholar. For instance, the new A. James Clark Scholars Program website lists the characteristics that will be used to choose Clark Scholars – high academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, financial need, and community involvement. This kind of a list gives a better picture of what kind of an applicant would be best suited for the program. “Academic record and potential impact at Stevens” is a much too broad statement when the program has such amazing opportunities like a cultural passport, the 4+1 program, a stipend for research, study abroad, or classes, and so many more. Now I realize this might sound like the ramblings of a sore loser, but my feelings come from not my own personal loss (I know there are smarter people than me), but from seeing examples of how certain people are cheat-

ed. I have seen brilliant students who not only had and continue to show high academic achievement and who contribute to Stevens in multiple ways. Why is it that these students didn’t make the cut when other students with less involvement in both college and high school did? I think this goes back to the requirements being too vague. This is an amazing program that is offered to Stevens students, but I think this program can be improved by the mere act of making the requirements more specific. This way it is ensured that the best of the best are in the program.

Maryia Spirydonava Editor-in-Chief

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Mind of a Freshman

The One About Mistakes

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Corrections & Clarifications

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by MARY RUANE

Freshman Business and Technology Major

After a month off for winter break, I do not think I can fully express how glad I am to be back to writing this new year. So far, the new year has shown a lot of promise and I, for one, am genuinely excited to see where 2018 will take me. I can only hope that my peers feel the same way and that they have a successful

new year as well. While on the topic of the new year, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on the things I have done in the past year or so that I would never do again. To start off this countdown, number one would probably be staying home with my brothers while my parents were in India for the week. My brothers were two and seven at the time, two of the most adorable human beings in the world, but by the third night, I was so sleep deprived that I cried over the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song playing on the television. It was a rewarding experience and all, but I will definitely not be doing something similar in the future. Number two is asking a three-year-old if he

wanted a piece of candy when he was in my dorm. Since then, every time he comes to visit he gets mad at me for not having candy for him. He makes it seem like it is the biggest betrayal he has ever faced in his life, and, to be fair, his life has been pretty short so it probably is the most offensive thing he’s ever experienced. Who invites someone over to their room without having a Twix bar readily available for them? Apparently, I do. The final thing I have done in the past year that I will probably never do again is voluntarily watching the first three Star Wars movies. I had only remembered Star Wars from when I was little, loving Obi-Wan as if he were the cool older

brother I always deserved (not to offend my actual older brother, but I think we’d all agree that ObiWan is cooler). But boy, a younger me did not understand how truly bad those movies are. Hopefully, no one reading this has a particular affinity to the portrayal of Anakin Skywalker’s story in the first three movies, but Hayden Christensen was just an overall disappointment, and I don’t understand how I could make that mistake yet another time. That being said, I hope that by the end of 2018, I have more stories of things I have done that I will never do again. I hope everyone can say the same and that their new year is as fantastic as mine has been.

Senioritis

A senior’s silent killer

by OLIVIA SCHREIBER Senior Chemical Biology Major

In case one of your New Year’s Resolutions included picking up The Stute every week—a realistic and obtainable goal!—this column is your chance for a weekly spelunking into the life of a Stevens senior student. From its title, you

might expect this column to give particular emphasis on that clandestine, slow-acting, and lethal affliction that plagues the lives of senior college students across the globe. Onset is often heightened after the winter holidays and exacerbated by long periods of sleeping and eating. I fear this ailment, commonly known as “senioritis,” more than I fear the flu because unlike legitimate corporeal sicknesses, it is defined as a decline in motivation or performance. I feel as though this semester might in fact be one of the most arduous. While I said my goodbyes to a year that was marked by unexpected

familial whirlwinds, political turbulence, and marked moments of selfdoubt, I also ventured (with trepidation) into the real-world job market, prepared for one of the most difficult exams I have ever taken in my academic career, and recognized that my university sitting atop this slightly-dirty yet vibrant city will no longer be home in just a few short months. The time for peak performance is now and from the looks of it, senioritis has no place in my agenda—especially if we take into consideration the abolishment of our beloved academic breaks (yes, I’m bitter). How does one over-

come this duality within the senior experience? Do I remain steadfast in my studies and abstain from the carefree leisure of my senior semester or do I carry along half-heartedly, paying a deeper homage to the well-regarded Biergarten on Tuesday evenings? For me—and many of my peers—residing on either pole of this spectrum is unrealistic. The months leading up to graduation are critical for both our academic and future professional selves, but I think there is a need to reconcile the fact that we have endured over seven semesters of having to prove to the overarching social institution of

higher education that we are in fact competent and deserving of our degrees. Creating memories and capitalizing on moments of spare time in the company of good friends are just as important in these last several months as they were in the first few weeks of freshman year. There is no current vaccination for senioritis, and its morbidity can only be assumed to be high in the senior population. However, given that we place so much emphasis on risk-aversion in all aspects of our life, perhaps we can take proper measures to stall this malignancy’s entrapment. For me, one method that I continu-

ously go back to is envisioning myself walking across the stage and collecting my diploma from President Farvardin. I am looking forward to that ritual being one of the most significant in my life, and under no circumstance would I risk stalling that experience. There will be long nights, last minute deliverables, failures before successes, and seemingly “missed” senior moments, but I always look ahead to this moment in those lackluster periods. This semester, I’m starting off with as much force as possible so that when senioritis springs its attack upon me, I’ll welcome it with open arms.

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 3

The Stute Music Review

Five Artists to be Excited for in 2018

by CHRISTIAN BONAVITA Freshman Chemical Engineering Major

Let’s take a look at some of the most buzz-worthy artists of 2018. All of these artists have the potential to break through and dominate the music conversation, whether they are brand new acts or acts returning with new projects. Sigrid Norwegian synth-pop up-and-comer Sigrid (picture displayed to the right) should release her debut album in 2018. Sigrid has been picking up momentum since February 2017, when the re-

lease of single “Don’t Kill My Vibe” electrified pop lovers with its buildup and explosive chorus. After a spectacular festival season with performances at Glastonbury and Roskilde festival and her cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows,” which is featured on the “Justice League” soundtrack, Sigrid is looking to dominate 2018. She has been named BBC Sound of 2018 and is already scheduled to perform at Coachella, and boasts a sold-out U.K. tour, along with a few U.S. dates (sorry, New York City is already sold out). She has become a voice for teenagers and women and just scored her first U.K. #1 on the iTunes chart with “Strangers.”

MGMT This psych-pop duo has been around since 2008 when “Oracular Spectacular” emerged with hits “Electric Feel” and “Kids.” Layered, unpredictable pop melodies and trippy music videos have become MGMT’s most recognizable trademark, and their style has paved the way for new acts like Tame Impala and Superorganism (mentioned later). They had success with albums that followed but garnered a more mixed critical reception with their most recent album, which was criticized for trying to do too much. However, MGMT has released three exciting singles to precede their new album “Little Dark

Sigrid | Photo from Billboard

MGMT | Photo from Pitchfork

Age,” which is scheduled to arrive early this year. These singles are each distinct in their lyrics and sound, and they point to an interesting new album. Troye Sivan After a more than promising debut with 2015’s “Blue Neighbourhood,” Troye Sivan resurfaced last week with pop banger “My My My!” His ubiquity on YouTube and distinct style of alternative electropop have found him a fiercely loyal fanbase, and 2018 should find him greater critical acclaim with the release of his sophomore album.

Scientific Curmudgeon .

Sexism in Science has a long history

by JOHN HORGAN CAL Professor

Science is sexist in two ways. First, women in science (including engineering, math, medicine) face discrimination, harassment and other forms of maltreatment from men. A recent post in Scientific American, “Confronting Sexual Harassment in Science,” asserts that between 40 to 70 percent of women in science, engineering and medicine have experienced harassment from males. Second, male scientists portray females as inferior. These two forms of sexism are mutually reinforcing. That is, male scientists use science to justify their sexist attitudes toward and maltreatment of women. Then, when women fail to thrive, the men say, See? Women just aren’t our equals. In her timely new book Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story, British science journalist Angela Saini documents how science has long denigrated females. In his 1871 book The Descent of Man Charles Darwin wrote: “The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the two sexes is [shown] by man attaining to a higher eminence, in whatever he takes up, than woman can attain-whether requiring deep

thought, reason or imagination, or merely the use of the senses and hands.” He added, “Thus man has ultimately become superior to woman.” Saini notes that evolutionary psychology, a modern instantiation of Darwinian theory, still provides justification for female inequality. In his 2000 book The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature, evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller writes: “Men write more books. Men give more lectures. Men ask more questions after lectures. Men dominate mixedsex committee discussions.” These behavioral differences reflect biological differences, Miller argues. Evolution made males more aggressive in their pursuit of status than females. Actually, Saini points out, anthropological research has revealed that hunter-gatherer societies were remarkably egalitarian. Hence modern gender differences are more likely to stem from discrimination and other cultural factors than from females’ alleged biological inferiority. Last summer Google engineer James Damore nonetheless claimed in a widely circulated memo that females are under-represented at Google and other tech firms because they are on average less ambitious and more prone to “neuroticism” than males and “have a stronger interest in people rather than things.” Damore said these alleged male/ female differences are “exactly what we would predict from an evolutionary psychology perspective.” Geoffrey Miller defended Damore’s memo. (See my Stute column “Google Engineer Fired for Sexist Memo Ain’t No Hero.”) Saini notes in The Guard-

ian that Damore and others back up their views of male/female differences by cherry-picking studies that supposedly prove male intellectual superiority. A broad review of the literature reveals “only the tiniest gaps, if any, between the sexes, including areas such as mathematical ability and verbal fluency.” Just as science has justified racism, Saini notes, by portraying certain races as inferior, so it has justified sexism. Sexist beliefs, bolstered by shoddy science, result in sexist behavior. Saini cites a 2012 study in which researchers at Yale asked 127 scientists to assess identical job applications. Half of the names on the applications were male, half female. Both male and female scientists rated the “male” resumes higher. In 1881, Saini recalls, women’s-rights activist Caroline Kennard wrote Darwin seeking clarification of his views on women. Darwin replied that he doubted women could become “the intellectual equals of man.” Kennard responded: “Let the ‘environment’ of women be similar to that of men and with his opportunities, before she be fairly judged, intellectually his inferior please.” Whose views are wiser in this exchange? Almost 140 years later, the environments for women and men remain unequal. I’m thrilled to announce that Angela Saini is speaking at Stevens on April 4. Please come to her talk and talk about it with your friends, male and female. John Horgan directs the Center for Science Writings, which is part of the College of Arts and Letters. This column is adapted from one in his Scientific American blog, “Cross-check.”

Troye | Photo from RadioB96

Sivan’s lyrics cover topics of relationships and LGBTQ-activism, and

he has been praised for his autobiographical content and for spreading positivity among his fans. He performed on SNL last weekend, singing “My My My!” and atmospheric ballad “The Good Side” (my favorite release of the last six months), and one can only hope that his voice was able to reach new listeners. Superorganism Superorganism is an 8-person psych-pop group with a background story just as enthralling as its music. With members hailing from New Zealand, England, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, they now live together in England, but wrote and produced debut single “Something For Your M.I.N.D.” from across the Atlantic, while lead vocalist Orono was studying in Maine. However, Superorganism is not all about Orono’s aloof, mesmerizing lead vocals; each of its songs is an eclectic piece

filled with samples and interesting instrumentation. For example, in their first performance on American soil, each band member held an apple, and took a bite in unison to add an effect at the end of the first chorus. With an album coming out on March 2, and growing traction in the U.S. and overseas, Superorganism might make a mark on the 2018 music scene. Drake We’ve all been waiting to see which huge, established artist would release new music first in 2018. Drake acted first, releasing “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity” on January 20. Both songs see a return to early Drake’s style, while steering away from the tropical-house direction Drake has been heading in recent years. Whether these two songs will be a part of a larger project is unclear, but these songs are sure to be unavoidable on hip-hop radio.

STEVENS STUDENT SPECIALS 2 PLAIN SLICES + SODA - $7 2 SPECIALITY SLICES + SODA - $7.90 10% DISCOUNT FOR STEVENS STUDENTS

Campus Pulse

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 4

Roving Reporter What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received?

I got a bobcat in a box once, not sure what that was.

My life.

Birth.

Andrew “Lisp” Soutar

Peter J. “PJ the meme” Lobello

Brad “doesn’t want to be here” Tylutki

A Target $20 gift card - I got it from a friend and that’s how I knew he wasn’t a real friend.

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a bad gift.

Ripped Socks.

Casandra Gonzalez

David Sevilla

Mark Dispigna

Polling Pierce

Did you break your New Year’s resolution?

No 24 Yes 10

Didn’t Make One 72

Strips

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 5

News Continued SGA

Continued from front page

which is a modified version of the 35-word oath taken by presidents of the United States. Gallo placed his left hand on the SGA Constitution and raised his righthand swearing, “I, Lucas Romeo Gallo do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the Student Government Association, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Student Government Association.” The Oath of the 2018 Cabinet was read: “We, the Cabinet of the Student Government Association at Stevens Institute of Technology for the year 2018, swear: To faithfully uphold, to the best of our abilities, the Constitution of the Stevens Student Gov-

ernment Association in all aspects, To, within the outlined boundaries of our respective positions, represent the interests and provide for the general welfare of the students of Stevens Institute of Technology, To, in every circumstance, uphold the ethics and values established and fostered by the campus culture, the Stevens Honor Board, and our own moral compasses.” The Oath was signed by Gallo and the following Cabinet members who were in attendance: Vice Present of Operations Rami Kammourh, Dakota Van Deursen, Vice President of Student Interests, Marianna Fleming, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Reegan McCaulley, Secretary. Anthony Picone, Vice President of Finance was not present because he is on a co-op term. Picone signed The Oath in private later that evening.

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 6

Gallo began his speech, “Thank you to everyone who came out today to witness our first day in office. I am extremely grateful to everyone that elected us and we promise to fulfill all the duties of the position.” Gallo spoke highly of his successor. “I am honored and honestly a little terrified to assume this position because I will be replacing the one and only Tommy Daly.” He said to Daly, “On behalf of the student body, I would like to thank you and your cabinet for all that you have done. I know we all will miss your spirit, your voice, and especially your laugh.” Gallo emphasized that he will use his voice to stand up for what is right for the student body. “I ran for president in order to guarantee that students leave this institution connected to their alma mater.” He stated that the

Omega Phi Beta receives charter

Cabinet will work to ensure that Stevens students know they can utilize SGA to help improve their college experiences. “We hope in doing this, that together we can build a diverse student body, inspire a more engaged community of students, and create an inclusive campus that allows for people of all backgrounds to express themselves freely.” Gallo also explained the role as SGA President being to bridge the gap between students and the administration. “Along the way, you can be sure I will be asking a lot of questions, I will be meeting with students, staff, and faculty, learning about their problems, and undoubtedly I will be figuring out how we can progress this school forward together.” One of Gallo’s clearest messages on behalf of the Cabinet was “We will be listening.” “Beside me stand some

of the most intelligent, caring, and motivated individuals I have ever met. Their commitment to the student body and their array of involvement will allow the student government to leverage the experiences and perspectives of the broadest possible cross section of students,” said Gallo. Students and Student Affairs professional staff filled Babbio Atrium, notably a large Kappa Sigma population came as Daly and Gallo are Kappa Sigma brothers. Gallo thanked the crowd, concluding “Thank you all for supporting your Student Government on our first day and we will work to maintain your support until our last.” Gallo later commented that his ideal role as SGA President being to bridge the gap with the administration and advocate for students. While Gallo says he has no problem speaking candidly with

the administration, he expects his biggest challenge will be fitting into the idea that a president should be “someone super inspiring.” Gallohumbly said, “I don’t think of myself as someone that is super inspiring I just think of myself as a regular Stevens student.” He also commented “I feel like when you’re president you’re sort of like the dad of the school. And you have to make decisions – sometimes that people don’t like, sometimes that people like – but it’s all just to better the student experience.” When asked if he had always wanted to run for SGA President, he said “I had a bunch of people come up to me and say ‘I want you to represent me’ and then I went through with it. It was never really a plan that I had for myself but I guess it was a plan that other people had for me.”

Lore-El hosts Cocao & Crafting by DANIEL KANG Staff Writer

The Lore-El Center for Women’s Leadership held Cocoa & Crafting on Thursday, January 25 in Jacobus Lounge. Several tables around Jacobus were dedicated to painting and decorating glass jars. Hot chocolate and dessert were served to attendees. Dhivya Shankar, and Mary Libera, 4/5 Mechanical Engineers and student coordinators for Lore-El commented, “The Lore-El program is an

organization that creates programming to empower women. We coordinate events in professional development, arts and culture, and health and wellness. This event is our first welcome back for the semester and is intended for people to relax and come together.” The Lore-El Center has a lot of events planned for this semester, including an Entrepreneurship Panel, Zumba session, Women’s History Month Symposium, Alumni Networking Night, Cooper-Hewitt Trip, Self Care Workshop and more.

Most of their programs require registration online through DuckLink. For more information, please contact loreelprograms@ stevens.edu.

instagram/stevens_betas

by ELINA TUDER Staff Writer

Omega Phi Beta (OPB), the only multicultural sorority currently on Stevens’ campus, was founded in Spring 2016 in order to establish a supportive sisterhood for underrepresented women on campus. Although OPB is Latinaoriented, they have 16 sisters from 13 different ethnicities. The sorority emphasizes family and culture through unity, while maintaining academic excellence as a priority. After two short years, on Jan. 13, 2018, OPB received a charter, which establishes OPB as a nationally-recognized chapter, rather than a Stevens collective, and gives it a chapter name of Beta Upsilon. One of the members of the founding class and current Multicultural Greek Council President as well as OPB Public Relations

Chair, Glen Anna Abellana, is amazed and proud of how quickly OPB was able to receive a charter as, “the Beta Rho chapter at Ramapo took six years to get their charter and being able to get it in over a year is definitely a feat. It really shows how much hard work and dedication all of us put into OPB.” OPB is a safe and welcoming sorority on campus as Abellana says, “I can truly say I found my home at Stevens through OPB.” One of the newest sisters, Ivette Marte, says, “you get to meet very loving, independent, and empowering women.” The overall theme of OPB is embodied in a quote they admire and follow: “a beta woman is a better woman, not better than anyone else, just better than who she used to be.” This is evident as OPB’s sisterhood stretches beyond the borders of Stevens. The OPB Beta Upsilon sisters con-

nect with chapters at other colleges and support one another, no matter what state or school a sister is from. Hence, the OPB family stretches beyond the close-knit community of 16 sisters at Stevens. For their philanthropy, OPB raises money and awareness to stop violence against women. In October, the sisters conducted the Ray of Hope walk to promote this cause. In February, OPB will be conducting a “Week of Illumination” with the theme of unapologetic women, which encourages women to not be ashamed of being themselves. OPB will also hold its first informational meeting on Feb. 7 at 9:17 pm in Fielding. The time is specifically 9:17 because there were 17 original founders of OPB. The informational session is for students who are interested in joining, learning more about the organization, or meeting the sisters.

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Bernard Feeney

Updated SGA Constitution is ratified by BRAD TYLUTKI Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, the new constitution proposed by the SGA was ratified. Announced on Jan. 22, the changes brought forth by the constitution are designed to facilitate the SGA’s legislative process. It also helps with the fluidity of the association by creating a more organized environment that is designed to run more efficiently than before. Many of the changes made to the constitution regard the removal of certain provisions due to them being outdated and irrelevant. To gain approval, at least one third of the student

population had to vote on the new constitution, and, of those votes, a minimum of two thirds had to be in favor of accepting the constitution. Of the 1,061 students who voted on the new constitution, 869 of the votes were in favor of passing the new constitution, which was enough for it to pass. Of the ballots cast, 107 were recorded as “No” and the remaining 85 were cast as “Abstain.” The results of the referendum have been verified and approved by the Office of Student Life, granting validity to the new constitution. One of the major changes made to the constitution was the addition of more Senators from each class. Students stand to benefit from this change,

since having a larger Senate creates more opportunities to get involved with the SGA. The SGA will also benefit from this because they will be able to complete tasks and responsibilities at an accelerated pace due to the increased amount of active Senators. In addition to the more major changes to the constitution, the formatting and wording were also changed. The better organization of the ideas and provisions in the constitution will help students find it easier to read and comprehend. Additionally, the better formatting clears up any miscommunication or confusion that could potentially alter the outcome of future votes and elections.

2018 SGA Inauguration

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 7

Photos by Lisa Mengotto and courtesy of Misha Yun

News Continued Hawaii panics over accidental nuclear alarm by DAVID ROGERS Staff Writer

At 8:07 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, Hawaiians received an alert from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency stating, “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” This alert, which came as tension between North Korea and the United States increases to the point that former Secretary of Defense William Perry believes we are closer to nuclear catastrophe than we were during the Cold War, was actually an error. In a routine alert system test, a staffer pressed “live alert” instead of “test alert.” HEMA immediately tweeted that it was a false alarm and, 36 minutes later, sent a second message, announcing that the alert was an error, although by then most Hawaiians were alarmed and helping others seek shelter. The second announcement took so long to get out because FEMA had to verify that there was no threat and approve the announcement first. Hawaii Governor David Ige

said, “We’ve already implemented some actions to speed up the process so the public would be notified faster.” The false alert is provoking other improvements in the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which hopes to improve by learning from other agencies and departments. Additionally, FEMA and the FCC launched a full investigation into the error. The staffer who sent the alert has since been re-assigned. The false alert also led to re-evaluating the operation of IPAWS in general. All 50 states use the system, but only some municipalities. According to Retired Admiral David Simpson, Former Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, this leads to some emergency centers having “nowhere near the professionalism there on the national security side of things.” Also, unlike the Department of Defense’s alert system, there is no firewall between the test mode and live mode of the system, partially because IPAWS can’t afford employees fumbling with messages in a true emergency.

Photo from BBC

Massive CPU flaws revealed

Photo from Daily Mirror

by CHAZ ZWICKER Staff Writer

On Jan. 3, news of two recently found CPU flaws, called Spectre and Meltdown, was released. These two flaws combined affect nearly every processor manufactured since 1995 and pose a serious security risk to devices using these processors. Spectre, the flaw that affects Intel, AMD, and even ARM processors, is a flaw in a feature called “speculative execution.” This is when the processor prematurely executes tasks that may or may not be needed in the future in order to save processing time.

Meltdown, which mainly affects Intel processors, is due to “out-of-order execution,” another optimization feature. Updates began rolling out to affected devices during the week of Jan. 8, but they were halted after reports that the updates were causing devices to stop booting up. Due to the nature of these vulnerabilities, the patches required to fix the issue will likely cause CPU performance to drop. As of Jan. 25, only some platforms have been patched successfully. The best course of action for most users is to, as always, ensure that their devices are updated often.

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 8

AUDITIONS

g n i r sp ING for Stevens Dramatic Society’s presentation of:

N E K A

W A

February 1st 7pm - 11pm February 3rd 10am - 2pm

Calder Room (3rd floor of Howe) for comments, questions, or concerns, email us at SDS@stevens.edu /sds1910

@sds1910

@sds_1910

@sds1910

Opinion Continued

Friday,January 26, 2018 • Page 9

SGA Roundup

The Anti-Student Government Association Constitution

by MARK KRUPINSKI

Sophomore Computational Science Major

Over the last semester, the SGA’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee worked on creating a new constitution. After many debates and discussions, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, then headed by the current Vice President of Operations Rami Kammourh, finalized the new constitution and put it up to vote to the student body. After a lot of effort from the SGA, the new constitution vote reached quorum after only twenty more people than required voted on it. Unsurprisingly, since the votes reached the minimum, the constitution passed, despite the only major changes decreasing SGA transparency and weakening the power of the student body. Now, the new constitution cleaned up some obvious “missing” items from the previous constitution. For example, the Senate now has a defined line of succession and has given power to the Vice President of Finance to oversee spending within the SGA. However, most of the “positive” changes that the SGA lists are simply items in the constitution

that were reworded to make them more clear. Under some “unmarketed” changes, the cabinet is no longer required to help students draft legislation. This furthers that gap between the SGA and the student body; this provision makes it more difficult for a student to create a piece of legislation that they believe will benefit the student body. Under the new constitution, only senators are given support in creating legislation via the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, not the general student body. By taking out this provision, the SGA is giving the appearance that they don’t want the student body to participate. When there is no one participating, there is no transparency and no accountability. The new constitution weakens the rights of the individual Stevens student. Under the new constitution, the cabinet no longer needs to hold at least one open meeting per semester. The reasoning? They haven’t been held anyway, thus it does not need to be included in the constitution. Essentially, nobody in the cabinet for the past few years has done their job. The SGA should become more transparent. What is the cabinet doing that they need to hide? Many RSOs have open e-board meetings; the SGA’s cabinet (essentially its e-board) should not be any different. Lucas Gallo never stated transparency as one of his campaign promises. If the

SGA isn’t transparent, how can we hold them accountable? No transparency. No accountability. Additionally, the student’s “check” on the SGA has been severely weakened. In the previous constitution, an individual only needed to get 15 percent (470 votes) of the student body to sign a petition for an amendment. Then, it would be put up to a vote for the entire student body – no SGA approval was needed. This could allow for an action that would be unpopular with the SGA, yet popular with the general student body to come into effect. Under the new constitution, only 10 percent of the student body (315 students) needs to sign the petition, but now the referendum has to be approved by the SGA senators in a secret ballot. This removes the simplest check the Stevens community has over the elected officials. Instead, the SGA can vote down a proposed change without any accountability. Without any transparency, there can be no accountability. No transparency. No accountability. Finally, any person nominated for President or Vice President of Operations does not need to disclose any RSOs that they are on the eboard for. Future presidents of the SGA are no longer required to reveal any clubs towards which they might have a potential bias. No transparency. No accountability.

Now for the important part: what did I vote on the new constitution? I didn’t. As expected, the SGA had a problem acquiring enough votes for the new constitution. With less than a week to go, they were roughly 400 votes short of reaching quorum. After a week of constant pressure to vote, social media messages, and “networking,” the SGA acquired enough votes to reach quorum and pass the new constitution. I don’t find it a surprise that the new constitution passed. Enough people will vote and, by default, vote yes on something that the SGA puts in front of them. It isn’t that the SGA got more people to care; they simply shoved the new constitution in enough people’s faces. Given the time-frame and number of votes needed, I thought the best method to prevent the new constitution from being passed would have been not to vote. It almost worked. One more no vote after quorum would have had no impact on the end result. Not voting would have had a much bigger impact. But what if we could create an association that could more effectively represent and have an impact on each individual student within the Stevens community and give those that truly wish to improve the Stevens community an outlet to do so… That is a discussion for another week.

“No Transparency. No Accountability.”

SGA Insight

The long road to the Constitution

by ELINA TUDER

Freshman Business and Technology Major

Over winter break, you probably saw a plethora of SGA Constitution posters scattered around Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, GroupMe, and any other sort of social media platform that exists. Those posters were made by yours truly in an effort to get people to acknowledge and vote on the New Student Government Association (SGA) Constitution, which the Constitution and Bylaws Committee arduously drafted throughout the majority of the fall semester. The amount of advertising done for the New Constitution may have seemed a bit excessive, but every senator had to put in time over break to spread the word since we needed one-third of the student body, or 1041 votes, to reach a quorum. And yes, we were advertising voting, but not voting in a specific direction, we promoted voting in general and acknowledged all voting options of “yes,” “no,” and “abstain.” A saying that floats around at SGA meetings is, “don’t just be a senator during our meetings on Sunday,” and I really saw this come to fruition over the intersession. I spammed the senators with a copious amount of emails, asking them to fill out spreadsheets, share posters, and be accountable for contacting students. Fortunately, I saw amazing col-

laboration between senators, cabinet officials, and other students. We really would not have reached the necessary amount of votes without everyone working together – both SGA officials and members of the student body. Now that the New Constitution has passed, due to two-thirds of students voting “yes,” I am very excited for one of its major changes: two additional Senate seats for each year. The increase in senators allows for more representation for Stevens students and provides the SGA with new opinions on campus issues. These extra senators will also help current senators focus on pursuing their initiatives and increase the size of our committees. With the addition of new senators, committees will be able to distribute more responsibilities as well as gather more ideas, which can improve the experiences of all Stevens students. As the newly appointed Public Relations head, I already made five posters and published them on various social media platforms to promote running for Senate. After being a senator for a whole semester I can testify to how interesting and rewarding the position is. During my short time in the SGA, I have been able to meet new people, have a great mentor, learn more about the school, assist with committee goals, support legislation, and connect with my classmates by informing them of initiatives and bringing their ideas to the SGA. Yes, I may be slightly biased, but I think the required work of a senator is well worth the results and self-growth. I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish this semester with the New Constitution, new Cabinet, and new senators, as this is just the beginning.

Letter to the Editor

On the legitimacy of the new SGA Constitution by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM SGA Senator

I only write this because I believe in disclosure, not because I wish to incite conflict within the Student Government Association (SGA) or at Stevens. And it pains me to write this, mainly because it questions something in which I fully believed. At the end of last semester, the SGA passed a resolution to completely revamp our constitution. Because our constitution required us to have student body approval before any modifications could be made to it, we opened the polls during the winter break so that students could declare whether they believed ‘the new constitution’ should be passed. SGA, of course, hoped to see it pass, and we messaged as many people as we could, urging them to vote. We were confident that we would receive enough “yes” votes, so we didn’t campaign for people to vote

“yes.” We, instead, asked people to just vote. We feared that out of all reasons we couldn’t pass the constitution, it would be not receiving enough total votes cast. The ‘total votes cast’ requirement ensures that the SGA doesn’t pass a constitution with little to no engagement from the student body. It requires that “at least onethird of the Student Body casts votes,” which set our target vote count to 1041 votes. If we would have received one less vote than the 1041 minimum vote requirement — even if onehundred percent of those ballots cast were “yes” votes — the constitution would not have passed. It’s a strict requirement that demands we engage with the student body if we wish to pass any large-scale reform. It’s a requirement which, I believe, is necessary and essential. When the voting period closed for the new SGA Constitution, we were so excited to see that it had

received enough total ballots cast. I was given the same vote tally that the entire student body received in a mass email. We were told that we received 1061 total ballots, 869 of which were “yes” votes. We had barely met the 1041 minimum vote requirement. And yet, throughout all of us, one thing confused me. When the voting period was open and someone could have cast a ballot, we had included more than the standard “yes” or “no” options. We also included an “abstain” option. Based on my knowledge of parliamentary procedure and my experience from serving on the SGA Senate for my entire time at Stevens, “abstain” means that a person formally removes themselves from the vote and that they will not tally into the total vote. The phrase “voting to abstain” is an oxymoron, because abstaining isn’t a way to vote — it’s a way to decline to vote. For example, if it takes

an affirmative majority of “yes” votes on a ten-person board for a motion to pass — four people vote “yes,” three people vote “no,” and three people abstain — then the motion passes. In this example, the three abstentions do not count toward the total tally because those people declined to vote. That motion received only seven votes, so based on those seven votes received, four votes as “yes” would constitute an affirmative majority. After a few days of skepticism, I asked another SGA Official how many people had formally abstained their vote for the new SGA Constitution. Up to this point, I had not known of any other number besides the number of total “yes” votes and the total ballots cast. By asking this question, I wanted to ensure that we treated abstentions as they should be treated: not as votes, but as formal refusals to vote. When I was given the complete tally, I was told that 869 people voted yes,

107 people voted no, and 85 people abstained their vote. All those numbers together equal 1061, but the numbers that actually matter — the “yes” or “no” votes — add up to 976, which should not have met the minimum vote requirement for the SGA Constitution to pass. It seems like we characterized an abstention as a vote, which I believe is inappropriate and incorrect. I fear that by counting the abstentions in the total tally, we improperly stretched the definition of a vote to fulfill our minimum vote requirement. And by including the “abstain” option during the voting period, we misled the student body. Some of you may have assumed that your abstention would have actually abstained you from the vote (as the “abstain” option would imply), and I would hate if your voice was misrepresented. Because we added a deceptive vote option and rushed the vote through

the winter academic break, some students may suggest that the vote was conducted with impropriety. I can only provide that the SGA’s hope with the new constitution was to create a better system to benefit the students at our institution and that we expected the voting process to be fair, straightforward, and procedurally correct. What should happen next is unclear. We may need to rescind the new constitution, conduct another vote, or we may disregard this issue altogether; my guess is that we’ll go ahead and keep the new constitution. And for full disclosure, I really want this new constitution to remain adopted, but it would be improper for us to keep this constitution if it passed illegitimately. I can only hope now that we find a solution that serves the best interests of the student body, all while maintaining our integrity and our respect for our governing documents.

Opinion Continued

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 10

Cuisine Corner

Not a Missed-Steak: The Dark Side

by MARKO DJAPIC

Junior Chemical Biology Major

Due to my early graduation, I’ll never get to be considered a senior. Worse yet, I’ll never get a chance to write the senioritis column. That said, I never a miss a chance to indulge myself. So I decided I would enjoy myself this final se-

mester with the worst of possible vices: reviewing places in my own neighborhood of Jersey City. Dark Side of the

Moo sounds like a gimmick and never really stops acting like one. Exotic meats? Ridiculous murals? An incredibly charming Australian waiter? They got it all. Serving up specialties like alligator sausage, the “Mike Bison”, and a camel burger called the “Hump Day”, Dark Side showcases what it does best; having fun with their over-the-topness. While they do have a “light side of the moo” that serves more standard burger fare for the vanillas out there, why beat around the bush when you’re already in it? Approaching it from the street, Dark Side immediately pops out of

the drab Jersey cityscape with its bright murals of a boxing bison, a kangaroo, and of course the most obvious Pink Floyd

CONTACT & INFO The Dark Side of the Moo 52 Bowers St. Jersey City (201) 216-0495

Tues. - Sun. 11AM - 10PM Monday Closed Service: Food: reference there could be. Once I was inside, however, I was surprised how small it was. A counter bar and 3 tables for 2 in a space probably not bigger than your Palmer single? I felt cramped, but the wood slab tables, low lighting, and plush chairs won me over soon enough. It’s actually quite intimate. Joined again by my colleague and good friend of the ChemBioTM department, we ordered the yak fajitas and the dark side of the (kanga) roo double burger. Looking at the brightly colored plates in front me, the fajita strips looked

visibly different, but the burger looked very standard (what else would a burger look like?). One thing I quickly learned, however, is that the burger was built higher than a kite. Unless you have a big jaw, buyer beware, you should stick to a single patty for this Robert Wadlow-inspired burger. Trying the yak first, it was hard to tell any specific difference from regular beef fajitas. Fajitaesque cooking is highly spiced and flavored, so it’s hard to get as good a sense of the underlying meat as you would with an unseasoned burger or

Location:

Marko Djapic

steak. That said, it was apparent that it was different. It had a slightly chewier texture, but it was also leaner than beef. The kangaroo on the other hand was noticeably not a standard meat. The patties themselves had a sweeter, lighter taste than when compared to standard beef, and they were also leaner themselves. The greasy/savory flavor that is associated with beef was also completely absent from the Roo, which made the indulgence of a burger feel more like a sandwich. That said, it was incredibly filling and the assorted sides

Price: $

made for a great meal. I recommend it all highly. Dark side of the Moo is an affordable, intimate hang out nestled in probably the most accessible part of Jersey City for Stevens students. Whether its for the novelty, a special occasion, or just a night out, Dark Side is an incredibly fun restaurant with something for everyone. You can get the most out of it if you bring an open mind and (roo) jump right in!

Spoler Alert

Dixon’s Redemption in Three Billboards

by KOBY GARCIA

Junior Visual Arts and Technology Major

Martin McDonagh’s Golden Globe Best Picture-winning “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” tells the story of a grieving, desperate, tough mother whose teenage daughter was raped while dying and subsequently set on fire (thankfully, none of which is shown in the film). The story takes place months after the tragedy, when Mildred (played by Frances McDormand) decides to address the lack of progress on her daughter’s case by renting out three billboards

which stand on a fairly unvisited road just outside of Ebbing that bear the statements: “RAPED WHILE DYING,” “AND STILL NO ARRESTS?” and “HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?” Mildred has no trouble going through with the rental of the boards, but she is at the center of controversy after the boards are put up, being confronted by the local priest, her dentist, her abusive ex-husband, the local news station, and, of course, the police department. She interacts mainly with two police officers: Chief Willoughby (played by Woody Harrelson), who is personable, understanding, loved, and respected, and a villainous Officer Dixon (played by Sam Rockwell), who eventually redeems himself by the end of the film. This redemption is what inspired me to write this week’s Spoiler Alert. While “Three Billboards” addresses many topical issues like racism, sexism, po-

Photo courtesy of Vox

lice brutality, rape culture, mental health, prejudice, and justice, the one focus of the film that I found most interesting is forgiveness. The film showcases multiple emotionally-charged cases of apologies, but the most notable exchange of forgiveness is between the

Photo courtesy of USA Today

audience and Officer Dixon. Although he is painted as a modern day villain (ignorant, racist, childish, impulsive, abusive, and bigoted), he eventually comes around after reading an inspirational letter from a dead Chief Willoughby and subsequently escaping a burning building. He is transported to the hospital where he stays in the same room as a man he had assaulted and threw out of a window, but that man still forgives him. Later, viewers learn Officer Dixon was enamored with becoming a police officer but struggled immensely, having to revisit the academy multiple times. Eventually, Dixon decides to sacrifice his physical health in order to get a sample of a suspicious man’s skin in order to possibly propel forward the dormant An-

gela Hayes case (Mildred’s daughter’s death). Viewers are compelled to disdain Dixon for the entirety of the first two acts of the film, but by completely flipping Dixon’s motives and showcasing his struggle and inner thoughts, viewers grow sympathetic. No other character goes through as much of a change as Dixon does (with the exception of a significant character’s death), which directly correlates with how much about Dixon’s personal life and history the audience knows. Dixon’s character arc is achieved by strictly separating Dixon’s real emotions from his actions in the majority of the film and demonstrating a few significant events that change his mentality. Make note of Dixon’s fascinating storyline if/ when you watch this film.

The film has a haunting atmosphere to it, with many scenes whose results are shrouded in mystery and tension which causes viewers to be on the edge of their seats. The comedy sprinkled throughout the events of the film is wellbalanced and shocking. The interactions between characters are particularly interesting since each of them have such rich character traits. The breathtaking and beautiful cinematography engages the viewers and keeps their eyes glued to the screen. If you are able to go watch this film, definitely do so and make sure to bring some tissues. Watching the film explains the well deserved “Oscarbuzz” surrounding this film and the reason why it is my personal pick for Best Picture.

Opinion Continued

Friday, January 26, 2018 • Page 11

Campus Liberal

Mike DeFusco’s Obsession With A Lost Election

by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM Freshman Computer Science Major

On the Friday night before the November 6 Hoboken Mayoral election, an unknown person went around Hoboken, distributing racist flyers characterizing City Councilman and mayoral candidate Ravi Bhalla as a terrorist. In the top corner, a stamp indicated that Mike DeFusco campaign allegedly paid for the flyer. Mike DeFusco was immediately upset, denying that he was a part of the racist flyer distribution, and Ravi Bhalla expressed sadness that somebody would inappropriately characterize him as a terrorist. On the day of the election, Ravi Bhalla received 32.75% of the total vote and Mike DeFusco received 29.60% of the vote. Mike DeFusco said on Facebook later that he attributed his loss to those racist flyers. In the city council meeting one week after the election, DeFusco mentioned his mayoral election loss. “486 votes separated [Bhalla’s] win from where I sit today,” he solemnly said into his microphone. But in a quick switch of emotion, from sorrow to irritation, DeFusco went on to scorn Bhalla for not publicly acknowledging the derision he had faced after the election — namely because of the flyer distribution. “What I haven’t

heard in the news, in the press interviews granted by our new Mayor-elect,” he said, “is that there have been two affected parties by this heinous crime,” one of which being DeFusco and the other being Bhalla. Most of the news coverage, such as a post-election article in the New York Times, highlighted Hoboken for electing their first Sikh mayor despite the racist flyer distribution. But DeFusco was “aggrieved” by the coverage. “If you think that you’re the only victim here, Mayor-elect,” he said, “I have a sad story, you are not.” DeFusco said that, because of the flyer incident, he received hateful phone calls and messages, that his sister was falsely attacked for being racist, and that the mayoral election was anything other than free, as if the election occurred in a “third-world country.” He then turned to Bhalla and indignantly said, “If you don’t stand with me, that’s your choice, but it’s morally corrupt.” DeFusco, who expected his opponent to vindicate him in the national press, nearly blamed the Mayorelect for all the distress he and his family faced. Bhalla immediately responded to DeFusco, extending regret to him and his family for any pain they’d endured. But he also referenced the unfinished “active police investigation” into the flyers, and that until the investigation completed, he didn’t want to officially stand with DeFusco. “If there comes a time in which whoever did this is apprehended and you are absolved as a campaign […], I’d be happy to go ahead and, you know, express my remorse.” His response was spoken like a true attorney, as DeFusco pointed out, pro-

tecting himself from the potential backlash if the investigation connected DeFusco’s campaign with the flyer incident, all while still offering sympathy. But DeFusco appeared dismayed that his colleague didn’t accept his innocence, prompting City Councilperson Ruben Ramos Jr., a supporter of DeFusco’s mayoral race, to interrupt the verbal brawl. “I can’t believe the stuff coming out of your mouth,” Ramos said to Bhalla. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now tonight. I’m stunned, and I’m not stunned by anything.” Ramos remained distraught, offering support to DeFusco and chasting Bhalla for his supposed faults until Bhalla interrupted him and accused him of grandstanding. “At this point, you don’t faze me at all,” Bhalla said to Ramos. “Stop with the grandstanding. You and Michael are the only ones grandstanding; I’m not grandstanding.” Bhalla turned back to DeFusco and tried to reconcile with the angered city councilman, but Council President Jennifer Giattino interjected and overtook the discussion. “You both can speak [over there],” she said, gesturing toward outside of City Hall. And before the city councilmen could continue their bickering, Ms. Giattino closed the meeting, ending the debate between the men. Two weeks passed, and DeFusco continued his political stunt on Facebook. “I’ve known Ravi a long time and it pains me to see him refuse to stand with me during this trying time,” he wrote in one post. At the first city coun-

continued on thestute.com

Campus Conservative

Both Parties Should End the Obstruction

by ALEX MURTAGH Sophomore Civil Engineering Major

This past weekend, the U.S. federal government entered into a shutdown. So what does that even mean? Basically, Congress could not pass a government funding bill through both houses getting the required amount of votes. During a shutdown, many citizens will not notice a difference in the way they interact with government, mainly because we only tend to deal with local government. Those who receive any sort of welfare benefits will not have those benefits impacted, and national parks will operate on a very limited basis. However, those who are considered “non-essential” government employees are put on furlough, many “essential” government employees are forced to work without pay, the military will continue to operate with no pay, and those in Congress will continue to collect their paychecks. The non-essential employees account for roughly half of the just over 2 million federal workers, excluding the military and postal workers. Yeah, you read that right, Congress gets paid, but apparently, the average American can go on just fine. To be fair, some in Congress are asking for their paychecks to be withheld or are donat-

ing them, but the majority have done nothing. Seems kind of hypocritical, considering that many in Congress are multimillionaires and can afford to go years with no pay. So why is there a government shutdown, and who’s to blame? The main reason behind the shutdown was the refusal of Democratic Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, to compromise and work with Republicans in Congress on reaching a deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In order to reach a deal, Republicans want to fund a southern border wall and increase border security spending, which almost every Democrat sponsored back in 2006 when it was passed in a congressional bill, including Schumer and then Senator Hillary Clinton. So what changed between now and then? How could Democrats so easily flip on an issue? The majority of Republicans support giving some sort of legal status to those who qualify under DACA and have made offers to the Democrats. If the blame belongs anywhere, it’s on Schumer and the Democratic Party right now. The good news is that the shutdown is over. This means that everyone will be paid for time worked over the three-day span of the shutdown, and everything can go back to normal. This also is good news for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which has received funding for six more years and cannot be used as a political pawn during that time. (FYI, I do not support the politicians who used children’s health care as a political pawn.) The shutdown has ended with Senate Democrats breaking down and accepting the original Republican funding bill, so literally

nothing has changed. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans appear victorious because they gave away nothing and maintained the message that they were ready to talk about DACA and the wall and ultimately got away with giving Democrats a promise to draft and consider legislation. (This promise was later by Schumer and a public statement refusing to fund a wall.) Schumer is back to his newfound love for DREAMers and their future votes, but they are certainly not loving him, as evidenced by latenight protests outside of his New York City home. It’s also important to note that many 2020 Democratic hopefuls, like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, voted against the bill. Is this because they thought it would look good to their Democratic base in the primaries? Or do they actually believe that leaving the government unfunded would force a deal on DACA? The evidence suggests the former. However, now is the time for Congress to act and come together. Congress now has a March deadline to meet in order to fix this mess. As long as both parties are willing to come to the table, understand each other’s positions, and have productive conversations, I believe that most of DACA can be reinstated through congressional law as well as funding for a border wall. But to be fair this will require both sides to play fair. There can be no Congressmen, like Senator Dick Durbin, claiming that the other side made an outrageous remark behind closed doors (even after multiple Senators accused Durbin

continued on thestute.com

Stars of Stevens

Noah, the Star

by MIA HILDEBRANDT Junior Civil Engineering Major

Noah Bolzoni has been playing the viola since fifth grade, and he chose the instrument for three reasons: he enjoyed the sound in terms of range and timbre more so than the other instruments showcased (i.e. the violin), his best friend agreed to learn the instrument as well, and the person demonstrating the viola played “The Imperial March” from Star Wars on the instrument. Noah is currently the section lead-

er for the viola section in the Stevens Orchestra and has played with the Stevens String Ensemble for the past year, performing in the Summer Spectacular and Holiday Concert. He is a junior 3/5 Mechanical Engineering student from Bloomfield, NJ. When he is not in classes or rehearsal, Noah is also a member of the Filipino Association of Stevens Tech (FAST), and in his free time, he likes to explore the railroads of New Jersey. Noah adds, “I would like to work for a railroad in some capacity as my profession of choice.” As a side note, he is on track (haha, excuse the pun) to work in transportation, since he had a co-op at Amtrak. While at Stevens, Noah has gained valuable professional experience through the co-op program. Noah explains, “I greatly appreciate the opportunities the school provides for students to network and find employ-

ment. Additionally, being a Stevens alum has many perks in terms of finding professional connections – you would be surprised as to how many people came from this place.” In addition to co-op and academics, Noah has always made time for music. Noah points out that “music has been a stress reliever for me over the years. I believe that playing in an ensemble gave me a mental respite from whatever difficulties I had from challenging classes.” There is an undeniable connection between academics and music, and Noah sums it up well: “having a mind which is accustomed to mathematics helped me with basic musical aspects such as keeping time and understanding tone intervals.” In the past year, Stevens has offered more performing arts opportunities on campus. Noah emphasizes the importance of music events, like OnStage featur-

ing the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), as “a great idea for students to enjoy professional performances at a fraction of the cost.” Additionally, Stevens now awards half a credit per semester for playing in the Stevens Orchestra and attending every rehearsal. Noah adds that despite Stevens being known primarily for its technical expertise, “I think that there is always room for improvement since every college should be well-rounded in terms of arts and music.” Well said, Noah. The future looks bright for the musical groups at Stevens. The key to keeping the arts alive depends on Stevens students. Noah suggests, “I hope that the musically talented students will set aside time to be part of music ensembles and that they and others who enjoy music will attend the music-oriented campus events and performances. As a specif-

Photo courtesy of Noah Bolzoni

ic note, I would be greatly appreciative if the strings section (or viola section, specifically) of our campus orchestra grew to balance the sound.” Again, well said, Noah. It is not too late to join the Stevens Orchestra! To emphasize the importance of keeping music

alive on campus, Noah asserts that, “high school should not be the end of your musical career. Playing in an ensemble, or at a minimum, sharing your talents is something that should continue into college and well beyond. I believe music is worth the time and effort.”

n

Sports

Friday,January 26, 2018 • Page 12

12-0 Run in OT Helps Men’s Hoops Dispatch Sage

No. 17 Wrestling takes first six bouts to top Merchant Marine

ON DECK IN SPORTS

Friday Stevens Sports Information

Stevens Sports Information

SSI - Ryan Coffey’s threepointer in overtime touched off a 12-0 run in the extra period that allowed the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s basketball team to finally put away a pesky squad from the Sage Colleges in Empire 8 action on Tuesday night. Stevens trailed by seven at halftime and by as many as 10 over the course of the game. Sage had tied the score with less than 0.8 seconds left in regulation as junior center Kevin Lenehan converted a layup to sent the game to extra play with the score tied at 64. The Gators’ Anthony Mitchell then scored the first bucket of the extra session to give Sage the lead. On the ensuing possession, Michael Zignorski found Coffey for the three with ultimately gave the Ducks the lead for good.

Jayson Winick extended the advantage with a pair of free throws, and Dylan Walsh, Thomas Cook and Spencer Cook all scored in the rally that turned the tense game into a runaway. The 10-point cushion at the end of that stretch was the largest lead of the night for the Ducks. Spencer Cook and Coffey had five points apiece for Stevens in the extra time. Cook totaled 20 points, while Coffey had 15 points for Stevens as four players finished in double-digit scoring. Senior forward Thomas Cook added 11 points with eight rebounds, while junior Jayson Winick added 10 points with five boards, two assists, and three steals. Stevens made 20-of-29 shots from the line and had a 50-40 edge on the boards. Jake Krantz paced Stevens with nine rebounds, includ-

ing five off the offensive glass. It is the second-straight time the Gators have given the Ducks a run for their money. The last time the teams met, Stevens scratched out a one-point victory on January 11 in Hoboken. “Both teams came out with enthusiasm and energy on the defensive end of the floor tonight,” said head coach Bobby Hurley. “We had several different guys step up in a timely fashion, making plays at pivotal points of the game. It’s exciting to have so many guys that can step up to make a play on any given night, and our guys came through again to earn a good conference road win.” Stevens is in action next on January 27 hosting Hartwick College in a 2 p.m. Empire 8 contest.

Three Ducks named ‘Players to Watch’ by Collegiate Baseball SSI - Three members of the Stevens Institute of Technology Baseball team were named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s ‘Division III Players to Watch List’. Senior Quinn DiPasquale and juniors Danny Poidomani and Charlie Ruegger were each recognized among the nation’s elite in the publication’s annual listing. “All three of these

student-athletes have worked hard over their baseball and academic careers and are very deserving of this recognition,” head coach Kristaps Aldins commented. “We are excited to see what the 2018 season has in store for Charlie, Quinn and Danny, as well as for our ballclub.” DiPasquale appeared in 14 games as a junior, making 11 starts, finish-

ing the season with a 3-4 record. The Chelmsford, Massachusetts native collected 57 strikeouts over 60 innings to rank third on the team and finished with 3.60 ERA. DiPasquale was named a 2017 All-Star by the Northwoods League and finished the summer season with a

continued on stevensducks.com

SSI - No. 1 Troy Stanich earned a first-period fall to spark a run of three consecutive pins as the seventeenth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology Wrestling team won the first six bouts in downing the United States Merchant Marine Academy, 29-21, Wednesday evening in a Centennial Conference dual at Canavan Arena. The victory improved Stevens’ dual record to 8-3 on the year and a perfect 3-0 in the Centennial Conference. The Ducks have won three consecutive duals. Merchant Marine has lost two of its last three duals to fall to 6-5 on the year, The Mariners are 2-1 in conference action. At 125 pounds, junior Joey Borai opened the evening with a statement, earning a technical fall over Jace Garza. The Toms River, New Jersey native was leading 19-0 in the final period at the time of the stoppage. Stanich, the nation’s top wrestler at 133 pounds, extended his unbeaten streak to 24 with a pin of Brennan Dizon at 1:43 of the opening period. Freshman Brett Kaliner, ranked fourth in the country by both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and D3Wrestle.com continued the run with a second-period fall over Daniel May to improve to 20-2 on the year. Already leading 17-0, sophomore Dylan Van Sickell extended the dualopening steak with another bonus-point victory as the

Little Silver, New Jersey native won h a first-period fall over Chad Puglio. Van Sickell increased his 201718 win total to 23. Consecutive one-point decisions boosted the Stevens advantage to 29. No. 4 Zach Wilhelm earned a hard-fought, 6-5 victory over Kieran Duggan. The Merchant Marine grappler desperately tried to even the score in the match’s final minute, but Wilhelm, the program’s all-time leader in career wins, held firm on the mat and didn’t allow Duggan to gain an advantage. Senior Josh Smith followed and camefrom-behind in the final period to take a 4-3 decision over Christian Willoughby. With the dual outcome no longer in question, Merchant Marine rallied over the final four bouts to round out the scoring. Joshua Glantzman took a 6-0 decision from sophomore Carl Vasti to stop the Stevens run and put the guests on the scoreboard. The Mariners earned pins at 184, 197 and 285 pounds to close out the match. Up Next: No. 17 Stevens welcomes Ursinus College and Muhlenberg College to Hoboken Sunday for a pair of Centennial Conference duals. The bout with Ursinus is scheduled to start at noon, with the dual with Muhlenberg to follow. The afternoon is scheduled to begin with a ceremony honoring the Wrestling Class of 2018. Video link for the entire day is available at StevensDucks.com.

Duck Country Scoreboard Date 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/21 1/21 1/21 1/23 1/23 1/24

Stevens

Opponent/Event

Score

Result

Women's Basketball Men's Basketball Men's Volleyball Men's Swimming Men's Swimming Women's Swimming Women's Swimming Wrestling Wrestling Men's Volleyball Men's Fencing Men's Fencing

VS St. John Fisher College VS St. John Fisher College @ Rutgers University VS Swarthmore College VS Rowan University VS Swarthmore College VS Rowan University VS McDaniel College @ Gettysburg College VS Ramapo College

50-63 89-67 3-0 148.5-112.5 90-170.5 86-175 68-193

L W W W L L L W

Men's Track & Field Women's Track & Field Women's Fencing Women's Fencing Women's Fencing Women's Fencing Men's Swimming Women's Swimming Women's Fencing Women's Basketball Men's Basketball Wrestling

VS Lafayette College VS Drew University @ Maroon & White Classic @ Maroon & White Classic VS Lafayette College VS Hunter College VS City College of New York VS Caltech VS The College of New Jersey VS The College of New Jersey VS Alumni Meet @ The Sage Colleges @ The Sage Colleges VS US Merchant Marine Academy

27-16 25-21 3-0 18-9 19-8 N/A N/A 21-6 26-1 24-3 27-0 117-88 119-86 N/A 70-82 81-71 29-21

W W W W Complete Complete W W W W W W Complete L W W

Stevens Sports Information

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Dr. Sander Invitational Army 10 a.m. New York, NY

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Dr. Sander Invitational Army 10 a.m. New York, NY

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

VS Elms College 7:30 p.m. Union, NJ

Saturday MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD John Covert Classic 9:30 a.m. Bethlehem, PA

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD John Covert Classic 9:30 a.m. Bethlehem, PA

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Kean University 10 a.m. Union, NJ

MEN’S BASKETBALL

VS Hartwick College 2 p.m.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Marymount College 10 a.m. Union, NJ

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

VS Hartwick College 4 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, HEAD TO: STEVENSDUCKS.COM STEVENSREC.COM